What is a reserve list?

An NHL team's reserve list is comprised of any player who's signing rights they hold. This includes unsigned draft choices, all players signed to a Standard Player Contract (SPC), and all players signed to an SPC while playing in a junior league.
Each club can have a maximum of 90 players on their reserve list.

What is a Bona-Fide Offer?

A Bona Fide Offer is the offer of a standard players contract that meets the entry-level contract requirements as specified in the NHL CBA. The contract must meet the minimum salary requirements, must be the appropriate ELC length, and must remain open to the player for at minimum 30 days following the offer. [CBA 8.6 (e)].

How is age defined for drafted players?

A player’s age is defined as the following:

Age 18: The player reaches the age 18 between January 1 preceding the entry draft and no later than September 15 following the entry draft

Age 19: The player reaches the age 19 no later than December 31 on the year of the entry draft

Age 20: The player reached the age 20 no later than December 31 on the year of the entry draft

Age 21: The player reaches the age 21 no later than December 31 of the year of the entry draft

Age 22: The player reaches the age 22 no later than December 31 of the year of the entry draft

What are the exclusive signing rights for North American Drafted Players?

DRAFT AGE

ADDITIONAL DETAILS

BONA-FIDE OFFER

EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS RETAINED

SOURCE

All

-

No Bona-Fide Offer made

One year: June 1 at 5pm ET following the player’s entry draft

CBA 8.6 (a) (i)CBA 8.6 (a) (ii)

All

-

Bona-Fide Offer made

Two Years: Second June 1 at 5pm ET following the player’s entry draft

CBA 8.6 (a) (i)CBA 8.6 (a) (ii)

18

Player leaves junior in the first year following the draft

Not required

Four years: Fourth June 1 at 5pm ET following the player’s entry draft

CBA 8.6 (b) (i)

18

Player leaves junior in the second year following the draft

Bona-Fide Offer made prior to initial rights expiry

Four years: Fourth June 1 at 5pm ET following the player’s entry draft

CBA 8.6 (b) (i)

19

Player leaves junior in the first year following the draft

Not required

Three years: Third June 1 at 5pm ET following the player’s entry draft

CBA 8.6 (b) (ii)

19

Player leaves junior in the first year following the draft

Bona-Fide Offer made prior to initial rights expiry on the third year

Four years: Fourth June 1 at 5pm ET following the player’s entry draft

CBA 8.6 (b) (ii)

Initially 20Re-enters draft at 22

-

Not required

One year: June 1 at 5pm ET following the player’s re-entry draft

CBA 8.6 (a) (iii)

What are the exclusive signing rights for College Drafted Players?

A player is considered a college-drafted player if:

The player is a college student at the time of the draft, or

The player enrols into college prior to June 1 of the year following their selection (roughly a year after the draft)

DRAFT AGE

GRADUATION DETAILS

ADDITIONAL DETAILS

BONA-FIDE OFFER

EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS RETAINED

SOURCE

18 or 19

Graduates

-

Not required

August 15 at 5pm ET following the year the player graduates (usually 4 years)

CBA 8.6 (c) (i)

18 or 19

Does not graduate

Player gives notice that they are no longer a student:

Prior to January 1 of their 4th year of NCAA eligiblity, or

Prior to January 1 of their 4th year of college on the year they were scheduled to graduate

Not required

The later of:

Fourth June 1 at 5pm ET following the player’s entry draft

30 days after NHL Central Registry receives official notice he is no longer a student

CBA 8.6 (c) (ii)

18 or 19

Does not graduate

Player gives notice that they are no longer a student:

On or after January 1 of their 4th year of NCAA eligiblity, or

On or after January 1 of their 4th year of college on the year they were scheduled to graduate

Not required

Four years: August 15 at 5pm ET

CBA 8.6 (c) (ii)

18 or 19

Graduates

-

Bona-Fide Offer made

August 15 at 5pm ET following the year the player graduates

CBA 8.6 (c) (iii)

18 or 19

Does not graduate

Player gives notice that they are no longer a student:

Prior to January 1 of their 4th year of NCAA eligiblity, or

Prior to January 1 of their 4th year of college on the year they were scheduled to graduate

Bona-Fide Offer made

The later of:

Fourth June 1 at 5pm ET following the player’s entry draft

30 days after NHL Central Registry receives official notice he is no longer a student

CBA 8.6 (c) (iv)

18 or 19

Does not graduate

Player gives notice that they are no longer a student:

On or after January 1 of their 4th year of NCAA eligiblity, or

On or after January 1 of their 4th year of college on the year they were scheduled to graduate

Bona-Fide Offer made

August 15 at 5pm ET

CBA 8.6 (c) (iv)

20 or older

Does not graduate

-

Bona-Fide Offer made

August 15 at 5pm ET following the year the player graduates

CBA 8.6 (c) (v)

20 or older

Does not graduate

Player gives notice that they are no longer a student:

Prior to January 1 of their 4th year of NCAA eligiblity, or

Prior to January 1 of their 4th year of college on the year they were scheduled to graduate

Not required

The later of:

Two Years: Second June 1 at 5pm ET following the player’s entry draft

30 days after NHL Central Registry receives official notice he is no longer a student

CBA 8.6 (c) (v)

20 or older

Does not graduate

Player gives notice that they are no longer a student:

On or after January 1 of their 4th year of NCAA eligiblity, or

On or after January 1 of their 4th year of college on the year they were scheduled to graduate

Not required

August 15 at 5pm ET

CBA 8.6 (c) (v)

What are the exclusive signing rights for Non-North American Drafted Players [Leagues with NHL Transfer Agreement]?

Example leagues with NHL transfer agreements:

SHL (Sweden)

Liiga (Finland)

DRAFT AGE

BONA-FIDE OFFER

EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS RETAINED

SOURCE

18 or 19

Not required

Four Years: Fourth June 1 at 5pm ET following the player’s entry draft

CBA 8.6 (d) (i)

20 or older

Not required

Two Years: Second June 1 at 5pm ET following the player’s entry draft

CBA 8.6 (d) (ii)

What are the exclusive signing rights for Non-North American Drafted Players [Leagues with No NHL Transfer Agreement]?

Example leagues with no existing NHL transfer agreement are:

KHL

NLA/NLB (Switzerland)

DRAFT AGE

BONA-FIDE OFFER

EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS RETAINED

SOURCE

18 or 19

Not required

Indefinitely

20 or older

Not required

Indefinitely

Additional Details:

The NHL club must tag the player as “Defected” and place them on their 90 player reserve list.

If the player moves to a league that the NHL does have a Transfer Agreement with, at that moment the Club must sign the Player or lose its exclusive rights to negotiate.